By Zach Vander Veen
Part Four: Transforming Data into Action
Individualized Supports
Expanding and tracking learning opportunities enables districts to implement, monitor, and manage Mult-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS) more effectively. When districts capture and connect data across programs, they can tailor instruction to each student’s needs, abilities, and interests. That individualized attention—whether delivered through classroom adaptations, targeted interventions, or one-on-one tutoring—directly improves learning outcomes and increases students’ chances of academic success.
Career Readiness
Only 42 percent of employers believe students enter the workforce with adequate professionalism, perseverance, and communication skills. Community Schools that use partner catalogs can close that gap by linking students to internships, job shadowing, and workplace-ready experiences. These opportunities build the soft skills and professional habits students need for career readiness while strengthening ties between schools and local employers.
Birth-to-Kinder Care
As funding and initiatives for early education increase, it is essential to include supports for children from birth through age five. Many young children lack access to structured learning environments, yet early educational experiences are strong predictors of later literacy and math achievement. Community Schools can address this inequity by expanding early care and education services and intentionally including birth-to-kinder programs in their planning.
Historically, schools have had limited resources to serve children before kindergarten. By partnering with organizations that specialize in early childhood services and by using partner catalogs to filter for age-appropriate providers, Community Schools can connect families with the supports their youngest learners need. Prioritizing these early investments helps close readiness gaps and sets students on a stronger trajectory before they even enter the classroom.
Monitor and Assess
Administrators familiar with traditional models are accustomed to tracking academic metrics such as assessments and grades. Today’s landscape requires a broader approach: tracking wellness, social-emotional health, and other non-academic indicators alongside academics to form a holistic student profile. When wellness and academic data are analyzed together, educators and partners gain a fuller understanding of each child, which informs stronger, more personalized supports.
Adopting a digital infrastructure that captures multiple dimensions of student well-being—academic performance, physical and mental health, attendance, and social supports—makes it possible to collect longitudinal data and report on individual and program-level outcomes. A unified system allows districts to:
- Compile historical and current data in one place for rapid insight into student progress.
- Demonstrate the impact of specific initiatives by linking participation and services to measurable outcomes.
- Prioritize interventions and allocate resources where they will have the greatest effect.
Funding for the Long Term
Moving toward a Community School model requires sustained commitment beyond initial grants or one-time funding streams. Community Schools often begin with grants, Title I funds, and emergency resources such as ESSER or state partnership programs, but long-term sustainability depends on planning for funding after those sources end. Districts should identify the metrics they will track from the start and put tools in place to collect reliable data that demonstrates impact to funders and stakeholders.
Attendance data, for example, affects Average Daily Attendance (ADA) funding, which is tied to the attendance reported to state and federal agencies. Accurate digital tracking that prioritizes precise reporting helps schools capture the full ADA funding for which they qualify. Beyond ADA, thoughtful funding strategies should map out phases of implementation, align each phase with the most appropriate funding sources, and define the data needed to justify continued investment.
Partnering with organizations experienced in Community School financing can help districts design sustainable plans. These partners can assist with identifying potential funders for each stage, creating data collection plans that meet grant requirements, and building a roadmap to transition from grant-dependent programming to stable, locally supported systems.
Lessons and Collective Action
Research and policy analysis emphasize that student success depends on collective responsibility among educators, families, and community partners. Community Schools aim to support ambitious instruction while creating a student-centered climate and a whole-child approach grounded in learning science. By expanding the school day, offering enrichment and academic supports outside of traditional hours, and leveraging community resources, schools can better meet the varied needs of their students.
States that have made strong commitments to Community Schools are making progress in closing learning gaps and addressing the broader needs of students and educators following recent challenges. For districts not yet on a Community School path, there is much to learn from existing models: the pillars of partnership, shared accountability, and integrated supports can inform improvement efforts across any school or district.
Now is an opportune moment to leverage available technology, community partnerships, and established design principles to reimagine how schools support children and families. Schools already operating as Community Schools are often eager to share best practices and collaborate so that more students benefit from connected, sustainable supports.
About the author
Zach Vander Veen has held many roles in education, including history teacher, technology coach, administrator, and director of technology. He enjoys learning, teaching, traveling, and seeking adventures with his family. Zach is co-founder and Senior Vice President of Innovation and Outcomes at Abre.io, an education management platform.